Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters

Theodora Hendrix #1

by Jordan Kopy, Chris Jevons (Illustrator)

Theodora was just a baby when Georgie rescued her from a hobgoblin-infested graveyard and delivered her to the Monstrous League of Monsters. The kind-hearted monsters vote to keep Theodora, risking Headquarters’ wrath if they’re ever discovered. They get away with it, too – until a series of anonymous letters coated in earwax threaten to expose them to Headquarters. As the monsters race to identify the letter-writer Theodora takes matters into her own hands, hatching a simple – no, clever – no, brilliant – plan. If she fails, her beloved monsters will rot in the dank prisons of Transylvania. Forever. But if she succeeds, Theodora will lose her own freedom. Forever.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Avani ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Earwax ? Snot? Seriously?

It was average for me and these two things - do not appreciate in middle grade even if it's as a joke.

2.5 stars because atleast the ending was fun even if the entire story wasn't.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

That howling you hear at night? It’s not the wind, but a werewolf moaning at the moon. That tapping at your window? It’s not a branch, but a vampire inviting himself in for a snack of your blood. That creaking in the hallway? It’s not just “the house settling”, but a hag creeping towards your bedroom - they keep children as pets, you know.

You probably didn’t know monsters were real because of the Monster Secrecy Act but Theodora Hendrix knows about all of these monsters, and many more. She was adopted by a whole bunch of them when she was a baby.

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But no one can ever know that she’s at the Monstrous League of Monsters mansion (it’s haunted, of course) or else there will be consequences for her monster kin.

“Harbouring a human is punishable by death”

Okay, really serious consequences.

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Theodora goes to Appleton Primary School, where Ms Frumple has obviously been taking lessons in being a head teacher from the Trunchbull. We don’t like Ms Frumple. At all.

There’s also been someone delivering threatening letters to the Monstrous League of Monsters, someone who knows they’ve broken one of the rules of the Monstrous League of Monsters Charter.

1. Keep monsters hidden from humans
2. Protect humans from bad monsters
3. Help bad monsters become good monsters

But it’s not all bad news. Theodora has a new friend, a human friend, Dexter. And there’s a seemingly never ending supply of leftover pizza.

Theodora is a wonderful character. She’s strong, courageous and isn’t afraid of standing up for herself. Dexter, who compliments Theodora really well, is more reserved and much more concerned about following rules than his new friend.

This story was so imaginative and engaging. There was a fun mystery with some red herrings, great locations and enough quirkiness to hold my attention throughout the book.

Naturally, I want to live in the haunted mansion. There’s a secret passageway to explore, a squishy blue eyeball doorbell and I love Theodora’s bedroom.

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There are also plenty of friendly monsters to hang out with, like Mummy the mummy, Georgie Hendrix the zombie, Bandit the masked vampire-cat, Helter-Skelter the skeleton butler, Hamlet the skull, Mousetrap the raven and Figaro the operatic ghost.

My personal favourite, though, was Sherman the tarantula, Theodora’s friend who’s “the cheese to her pizza”. He wears a top hat and monocles, and believes there isn’t a food that can’t be improved with strawberry jam.

Chris Jevons’ illustrations are absolutely adorable, with an Addams Family vibe. They bring the characters to life so well and although the details occasionally don’t line up perfectly with the text, the majority of the time they do. I particularly loved the cute little bats in the text breaks.

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I can’t wait to continue this delightful series.

Oh, the password is “Coconut-fried cockroaches” but, shh! You didn’t hear it from me!

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG what a great time!! This was such a fun read! So perfect for the Halloween/fall season! There are SOOO many beautiful illustrations in this book, bringing the words to life, & I loved that!! To go along w/that stunning cover!!😍😍 We have a spooky house, talking spider, mummy, vampire, werewolf, ghosts, hags, zombie, witch, poltergeist, skull, raven, ghoul, gargoyles, trolls, vampire cat & more!! So perfect! Theodora was found in the graveyard as a baby by the zombie, & brought to the house of monsters. They looked for her parents, but after not finding anything decided to raise her themselves. Now she is 10 years old. She’s finally made a human friend-he’s the best lol She also finds out someone is about to tell a big secret, & she feels it’s up to her to save the family. The mysterious narrator talks to us the reader quite often, & I loved it. This was full of such creative writing, humor, fun, mystery, & all the Halloween vibes. I highly recommend this y’all!!💜💜

[Paige (pagebypaigebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The fact of the matter is, monsters live among us.”

I'd like to thank Beth Parker PR and Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.

Instagram Post

Blog Post

This was a fun read! The backstory of how Theodora came to live with her family grabbed my attention from the beginning. The current day mystery added another element of intrigue to the story that really helped to develop Theodora's character. Speaking of characters, there were a lot of different monsters and a complex network within the monster world we got to explore. In terms of the writing, it was simple and easy to follow while keeping an overall fun and upbeat vibe. I enjoyed the narration style, with the narrator speaking directly to the reader. It made for an intriguing read! One of my favourite aspects of this book was the adorable illustrations! Chris Jevons did a great job bringing these whimsical characters to life. I loved how expressive they were! Overall a fun and spooky read that is perfect for fall!

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters is a book that will definitely appeal to readers who liked books like Amelia Fang, as it embraces the silly side of monsters and 'spooky' things, presenting them as fun instead of scary.

The book begins by introducing readers to Georgie, a zombie just risen from his grave, and vampire cat Bandit. Together, the two of them discover a baby girl left alone in a haunted graveyard at night. Searching around for her parents, they find nothing. Knowing that leaving her would result in some kind of monster coming along and eating her, the two of them take her to the Monstrous League of Monsters looking for advice.

The League live together in a huge mansion, a mummy, vampire, werewolf, witch, skeleton butler, singing ghost, and more. The League are dedicated to keeping the existence of monsters a secret from the human world, and to helping evil monsters to changing their ways and becoming good. They're unsure what to do with the child, but decide to take care of her, but only until they can think of a better idea. Well, after putting off those 'better' ideas time and time again, the monsters raise the baby, named Theodora, and fall in love with her.

Now Theodora is a lively ten year old, living with her monster family and going to the local primary school. Despite being surrounded by the monsters who love her she doesn't have any human friends, most of the other children being too afraid to come anywhere near her haunted home. However, when a new kid joins her school the two of them strike up a friendship, leading to Theodora trying to have a normal friendship whilst keeping the reality of her home life secret.

Whilst all this is happening the Monstrous League of Monsters begin to receive mysterious letters that indicate that they know about Theodora, and know that they're breaking the rules by raising her. Threatenign to out them to the rest of the MLM, they and Theodora try to find out who's sending the letters, the person who wants to break their family apart.

Despite being full of monsters and creatures the book tells a very human story, and focuses on family. Theodora might not be related to any of the MLM members, not even the same species in a lot of cases, but it's the love they all have for each other that makes them a family, and is the reason they'd all do whatever it takes to stay together.

The book is full of these kinds of messages and morals, and will teach children that friendships and family can take any form, that you can care for someone and mean something to others even if you're not related. It's a nice moral, and one that will leave child readers feeling good.

There's also a lot of silly humour in the book, without it being too ridiculous. It's not full of silly fart jokes or gross-out gags, but relies on the monsters to get a laugh or two; such as when the werewolf has been glamoured to look human in front of Theodora's friend, but starts chewing on a bone, or when Bandit spits up three live mice whilst the kids are playing Monopoly. They're slightly farcical moments, but they'll make your kid laugh out loud, and can even elicit a chuckle or two from any parent reading along with them.

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters is a fun little book, full of nice messages and great illustrations that will keep any kid interested. It's got a story that's complex enough to keep children engaged and guessing, but isn't too grown up that they'll begin to lose interest. If you've got a child who likes monsters and spooky things this is an ideal read, especially with Halloween coming up.

[Writtips · Rating 2 out of 5]

Theodora es una humana muy particular, desde pequeña ha sido criada por unos monstruos que la acogieron cuando fue abandonada de bebé. Su vida, salvando ciertas peculiaridades, es bastante normal. Va a la escuela, trata de hacer amigos, tiene deberes… Como cualquier otro niño. Sin embargo, se ve envuelta en una gran aventura en la que le acompañará su monstruosa familia y su nuevo amigo Dexter cuando descubre una misteriosa carta que pretende separarla de sus seres queridos.

Nos encontramos frente a una lectura ligera, entretenida y rápida que atrapará a aquellos lectores de entre 8 y 12 años interesados en el mundo de los monstruos. Descubrimos en Theodora un personaje rebelde que no se conforma con saber lo justo, va mucho más allá, buscando las respuestas que el resto de los monstruos trata de ocultarle; siempre con el fin de cuidar a su familia de los desastres que ocasionaría si alguien descubriese que vive con ellos, pues la primera norma de la Liga de los Monstruos es mantener al humano ajeno a la existencia de estos seres.

Esta muchacha está dispuesta a darlo todo por su familia y su fiel amigo. Cuando se propone algo lo alcanza sin importar los problemas que surjan en el camino. Su espíritu curioso nos conduce por esta novela dejándonos siempre una sonrisa debido a la forma en que está narrado este libro, lleno de monólogos y chascarrillos.

Gracias a esta lectura descubrimos la importancia de la familia y los amigos en tiempos difíciles, y nos brinda la oportunidad de divertirnos con una original aventura.

https://www.troa.es/libro/theodora-he...

[Mrs Kuyateh - Primary Teacher Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just shy of midnight on Halloween and in an unmarked grave in an abandoned cemetery, a tiny human, swaddled in blankets is wailing like a banshee. A zombie named George Hendrix claws his way out of the earth and he and his best friend Bandit, a masked vampire cat rescue the baby and take her to a sprawling mansion in the village of Appleton, Pumpkinshire. But this is no ordinary mansion...it is in fact occupied by the Monstrous League of Monsters (MLM) and they vow to take care of the baby.

Fast forward 10 years and the baby, Theodora Hendrix is unperturbed by her unconventional upbringing and has ingratiated herself in her adopted family. We are introduced to the most marvellous cast of monstrous family members. There's Helter-Skelter the skeleton butler, Theodora's mum 'Mummy' the, well, Egyptian mummy, Hamlet the skull, Mousetrap the crow and Figaro the operatic ghost to name but a few. Sherman the spider (well actually he's a tarantula), is Theodora's dapper arachnid associate. Suited and booted in a top hat and a monocle on each of his 8 eyes he is loyal to a fault - in this case man's best friend is most definitely monstrous! The concept is really clever and the characters were reminiscent of The Addams Family or The Munsters.

But the first rule of the MLM Charter is "Keep monsters hidden from humans' and when a series of anonymous letters (sealed with earwax) arrive, it seems that someone has discovered their secret and they threaten to tear Theodora from her beloved family of beasts. Brave Theodora, assisted by her first-ever human friend Dexter Adebola must solve the mystery of the menacing letters and save her family.

The tale is told by a mysterious narrator who is very careful not to reveal their identity but is clearly very experienced in the monster world- they've walked right through a ghost don't you know! I've been back through the book and analysed the tasty morsels they throw us every so often to hint at who they really are but I cannot for the life in me guess who they could be! Whoever they are, I found their narration so entertaining, they way they speak so dryly and directly to the reader and constantly poke fun at grown-ups!

"Have you ever dragged your nails down the side of a blackboard? It makes an awful screeching sound (if your teacher is annoying you, I suggest giving it a try)"

Equally, I was left puzzling over the identity of Theodora's birth parents and the reasons why she was left in the graveyard - there are so many unanswered questions, there just has to be another book in the series! I can't be left hanging like this!

Chris Jevons' illustrations are highly engaging, sure to grab the attention of even the most reluctant of readers. My children said the mansion reminded them of the one in the film 'Monster House' a favourite Halloween film of theirs.

As well as being extremely humorous, Theodora Hendrix is also very heart-warming. I loved the friendship that develops between Theodora and Dexter and the chapter where Theodora's family all work together to hide the fact that they are monsters from Dexter when he's invited to the mansion for a play-date is hilarious! Dexter Adebola's character highlights the struggle of fitting into a new school and being a person of colour in a predominantly white setting.

Theodora Hendrix is a magnificently monstrous, story that skilfully blends horror and humour for younger readers, as well as delivering important messages about adoption, diversity, differences and inclusion. There is plenty of intrigue for children to reason out and discuss but without it being too complex that they loose the thread of the story. With Halloween coming up, this is the perfect treat for children aged 7-9years.

I'm really looking forward to the next instalment of Theodora Hendrix and her Monstrous league of Monsters, especially as our narrator has dropped hints that we're 'agents in training...'

[whatbooknext · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parents always tell their children there is no such thing as monsters. This is a LIE!

Someone who knows this more than anyone is Theodora Hendrix. She was found in a graveyard one night just before midnight. People of her town avoided this eerie place as it was thought to be haunted. So who was it who found her?

His name is Georgie Hendrix, a zombie awakening after a long sleep in a borrowed grave. Alongside him is a vampire cat named Bandit. A fruitless search for the baby's parents poises a problem. It's against the Rules for Monsters and humans to mix in the Monstrous League of Monsters (MLM) Rule Book, but the alternative doesn't bear thinking about. If left alone, this baby will be snatched up by evil hobgoblins lurking in the dark. The baby is taken home to the ('definitely sure it's haunted' say the locals) mansion of the MLM, and name her Theodora Hendrix.

Now ten years old, Theodora's best friend is a top hat wearing tarantula called Sherman. Her mum is a mummy, and there's also a skeleton butler, an opera singing ghost, several gruff gargoyles and even Dracula himself. This monster menagerie always planned to place her back with her own kind but fell in love with her instead.

'Life' has carried on quite smoothly for Theodora besides this very strange upbringing. That is at least until strange notes began appearing, threatening to reveal the MLM's secret to the High Council. Keeping a human is still very high on the 'must nots' list in the Rule Book.

Will Theodora give herself up to save her family, or will her monster family discover the frightening letters (along with their green, slimy trail of earwax!) themselves?

Theodora's new friend Dexter is avoiding her since she invited him over after school one day, and her principal is determined to find a reason to expel her. How did life get so complicated?




Although full of monsters, this book is also full of fun illustrations showing the action but taking the 'scare' away from it. Theodora's family are supportive and loving and one of my faves was definitely Mummy who had adopted the title seriously, looking out for everyone in their chaotic household - especially Theodora.

Told by a narrator directly to the reader adds more laughs, even as he endeavours to keep everything VERY serious. There are the villains too; a horrible hag and the school principal who is equal to the evil hag in her horribleness!

New friendships are explored, with a timid boy called Dexter who is plagued by allergies. The plot is intriguing and exciting without getting too complicated for the 7-10 readership.

[Steff Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters is a Hotel Transylvania rip off, right? Cause it sure feels like a poorly executed rip off of Hotel Transylvania.

I am honestly surprised at how much I hated this book. It truly is a subpar amalgamation of the Hotel Transylvania films, including a variety of characters who are comparably similar. They all live together in a mansion which is also quite reasonably comparable to the hotel. And a little girl is raised largely by the monsters who all reside in this place.

The biggest differences lie in the use of the monster filled home—this one is a reform facility (which, frankly, I find kind of silly)—and the general conflict in the plot. In this case, the young girl isn’t any sort of monster, but rather a human child who was taken in by the monsters when she was abandoned at a graveyard. The biggest concern she presents is not a fear that she will leave, but instead a fear that some more important monsters will find out that they decided to raise her, a choice that is patently illegal in their world.

When mysterious letters arrive, threatening to reveal this secret and have the monsters all imprisoned unless they give the young human girl to the letter writer, suddenly a high stakes mystery must be solved. Though, naturally, these adult monsters have every intention of keeping this mystery from Theodora.

Regardless of the differences, though, I couldn’t stop comparing the stories. And even without the comparisons, it was very quickly clear that the writing was quite subpar. The plot was incredibly simplistic and far too much fell into the trap of deus ex machina. What’s worse, the foreshadowing was terrible and our characters spend the majority of the book either doing nothing or spending far too much time focused on a red herring.

Theodora’s story is definitely not one I’ll be continuing, though I imagine young kids who are really into monsters might find it entertaining.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theodora Hendrix has had an unusual upbringing, full of mischievous werewolf cubs, a talking tarantula and a mummy who is, quite literally, a mummy. But she loves her life with the Monstrous League of Monsters, and can't imagine a better place to live. When menacing letters begin to arrive, threatening the monstrous-family she loves, Theodora is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This book is so much fun! I really loved the mysterious narrator, who seems to know a lot about what is going on, but keeps their identity under wraps. They constantly address the reader, which will draw children into the story, and are fond of complaining about grown-ups (making this a fun one for parents and teachers to read aloud!)

Theodora is a great protagonist: brave, caring, but also keen to make a human friend (so much that she's willing to sit through chess club run by her horrible headteacher). All of the monsters in MLM were well defined, with individual quirks and personalities - from opera singing ghosts to werewolves who eat bones in front of human guests. And the house itself is full of blinking eyes and forgetful gargoyles. There's a lot of humour in Theodora's inventive attempts to convince her new friend Dexter that her house is completely normal.

The illustrations are excellent and really bring the story to life (I especially loved Sherman). They didn't quite show up properly on the digital version from NetGalley, so I'm really looking forward to buying the finished book so my daughter and I can enjoy them properly.

Theodora Hendrix is a great book for younger fans of spooky stories, who want humour alongside their monsters. A perfect halloween read.

I was sent an advanced copy of Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters for review.
It is written by Jordan Kopy and illustrated by Chris Jevons

[Sabinomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theodora Hendrix is ​​a cute, fun story with monsters. Our protagonist is a little girl raised by monsters. Teodora started a new school year, while strange things happen in the world of monsters as well.
The writing of the book reminded me of Geronimo Stilton's books. Big letters, lots and lots of illustrations that looked really good by the way. I like it. Also, the story reminded me so much of Hotel Transylvania. I recommend them this book to those who love movies. The story was funny, though a bit predictable. I liked this tale with a dark atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the ARC copy I received from NetGalley was not perfect. The pictures were slipped away. I opened the document separately on my mobile phone and my machine, and I read it from my machine and looked at the pictures on my mobile because the pictures were on completely different pages than they should have. Besides, I didn't have the very end of the book, 1-2 chapters were left based on the pictures, but overall the story was over. Regardless, this deducts from my subjective experience, with a normal copy there will be no such problems.
I highly recommend this cute children’s book. Especially for Geronimo Stilton and Hotel Transylvania fans!

My Hungarian review:
Theodora Hendrix egy cuki, szórakoztató, szörnyes történet. A főszereplőnk egy kislány, akit szörnyek neveltek fel. Az iskolában jött egy új diák, aki barátkozik vele, közben pedig fura dolgok történnek a szörnyek világában is.
Írásmódilag a könyv Geronimo Stiltonra hasonlított. Nagy betűk, sok-sok illusztráció, amik mellesleg nagyon jól néztek ki. Nekem bejött. Ezenkívül a sztori nekem annyira Hotel Transylvaniát juttatta eszembe, akik szeretik a filmeket, ajánlom nekik ezt a könyvet. A történet jópofa volt, bár kicsit kiszámítható. Nagyon tetszett ez a sötét hangulatú szörnyes mese.
Sajnos, az előolvasó példány, amit a NetGalley-tól kaptam nem volt tökéletes. A képek el voltak csúszva, külön megnyitottam mobilon meg gépen a dokumentumot, és gépről olvastam, mobilon néztem a képeket, mert egész más oldalakon voltak a képek, mint kellett volna. Ezenkívül a könyv legvége sem volt meg a példányomban, képek alapján 1-2 fejezet maradt le, de összeségében már vége lett a sztorinak. Ettől függetlenül ez levon a szubjektív élményemből, normális példánynál ilyen gondok nem lesznek.
Nagyon ajánlom ezt a könyvet, aranyos, szörnyes gyerekkönyv. Főleg Stilton és Hotel Transylvania rajongóknak!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by the Publisher

My students love creepy, Halloween based books, but they also want any monsters in the book to rip people's heads off in particularly bloody ways. Here, the monsters take care of baby Theodora even though it can get them into trouble, which is not as violent and gory a tale as my students would like. This also fell on the elementary side of the Pilkey line with the mentions of snot and earwax. This would be great for readers who liked books like Vernon's Castle Hangnail, Kloepfer's Monsters Unleashed, or Lubar's Accidental Monsters series. Think of it as a cute, elementary version of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. The title reminded me a bit of LaFevers' fantastic 2007 Theodosia Throckmorton and the Serpents of Chaos series!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little book for what it is, but I often found myself comparing it to other books that presented similar themes. I might recommend this book to a child who likes the snarky narrator of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, or the found family of monsters in either Stitch Head or The Graveyard Book. I found that the ending a bit anticlimactic, as the MLM's decision seemed a little too nice and understanding, which didn't make sense to me. Some of the character designs, both in the illustrations and in personality, were quite fun (as an adult, I liked that Hamlet was a skull, but I don't know how many in the target audience for this book would get that reference).

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this brilliant book featuring Theodora Hendrix and her monstrously strange family. It is a fabulous read which will appeal to kids young and old and even older!!! The story comes alive on the page and is totally engaging!! I can’t wait for the second instalment.

[Kate Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, wonderful, brilliant! Sharp voice with so much humour. An original and fun take on monsters. Twists and turns, an exciting mystery, and lovable characters. A perfect read for middle graders looking for a spooky but hilarious story!

[Amelia Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read for all ages! I bought this book for my nephew but as a 33 yr old woman who loves all things spooky i think i was as excited about it as he was! We both loved it, and cant wait to read the next book!

[Laura Mauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book a soild middle grade very tounge and cheak and very adventure focused. I liked the quick pace style and would dec reccomend these for more kids that struggle with reading. I think it wa such a fun book and really liked the characters and i would check out more!!!

[suzie almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun, highly imaginative tale full of fabulous characters is a perfect read for any middle grader and just right for this time of the year. Read it!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.
I loved the concept of the book.
Theodore was left in the cemetery as a young baby, brought up by a mummy, Dracula monsters and a spider, what ever could go wrong

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Copy...witty and probably attract fans of Hotel Transylvania based on the friendly-goofy monster premise.

[Hollylovesbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Joe Chilelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! So cute! Highly recommend!!

[Bryan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for my 13 year old daughter, she has a hard time focusing. Amazingly she not only finished the book but asked if there was more like this. Highly recommend.

[Rebecca Makela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my boys, they loved it. Especially the 10 year old!

[Sharlene Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely